Battle for Terra
And you guys thought “Wall-E” had a heavy-handed environment message and rough social commentary on man…
True, the story gets all too preachy in the middle section of this CG-3D offering, but it is truly a wonder to behold for the eyes. I even felt myself getting a little weepy near the end. What a wonderful surprise- in all the right ways- to start the summer off with.
Though the film is very much a CG-animated affair, there’s an odd feeling of beauty that harkens back to stop-motion animation in the character animation in the Terrians, an alien species in the far away planet of Terra. Their peaceful existence is interrupted by the coming of man to their planet. War and irresponsibility has cost man its home on Earth, as well as the neighboring planets it was forced to terraform to live. Now, a small group of humans- led by a council headed by Danny Glover’s character, but with a war-mongering general voiced by Brian Cox- has come to Terra to study its land so that it may adapt it for their own use. They capture several of the inhabitants- including the father of spunky Terrian Mala (Evan Rachel Wood), who looks to get her father back, but not before she becomes acquainted by one of the soldiers (Stanton, voiced by Luke Wilson) rounding up Terrians.
Stanton and Mala- and Stanton’s robot companion Giddy (David Cross)- form a tenuous bond that runs the risk of destroying both species when survival for both is on the line, leading to a battle that could spell doom for both cultures. But the film thrives less as an adventure-driven parable and more as a visual wonder. The opening moments, starting with the credits in space, with Mala and friend Senn (Justin Long) are among the film’s visionary best. There’s an elegant quality to the animation that is just a pleasure to watch. Co-scenarist/director Aristomenis Tsirbas has such an eye for detail and beauty that it’s a shame that the film gets so bogged down in cliches and moral posturing in the middle section. At its best, it’s an animated pleasure to watch along the lines of the best films (and reminded me of such childhood favorites like “The Dark Crystal” and “The Secret of Nihm” in its feel); at its worst, it’s not hard to see why it’s gonna be left behind in the summer box-office bonanza. Hopefully there’ll be some people around to give it a chance.
